Semut dan Belalang

Pada siang hari di akhir musim gugur, satu keluarga semut yang telah bekerja keras sepanjang musim panas untuk mengumpulkan makanan, mengeringkan butiran-butiran gandum yang telah mereka kumpulkan selama musim panas. Saat itu seekor belalang yang kelaparan, dengan sebuah biola di tangannya datang dan memohon dengan sangat agar keluarga semut itu memberikan sedikit makan untuk dirinya. "Apa!" teriak sang Semut dengan terkejut, "tidakkah kamu telah mengumpulkan dan menyiapkan makanan untuk musim dingin yang akan datang ini? Selama ini apa saja yang kamu lakukan sepanjang musim panas?" "Saya tidak mempunyai waktu untuk mengumpulkan makanan," keluh sang Belalang; "Saya sangat sibuk membuat lagu, dan sebelum saya sadari, musim panas pun telah berlalu." Semut tersebut kemudian mengangkat bahunya karena merasa gusar. "Membuat lagu katamu ya?" kata sang Semut, "Baiklah, sekarang setelah lagu tersebut telah kamu selesaikan pada musim panas, sekarang saatnya kamu menari!" Kemudian semut-semut tersebut membalikkan badan dan melanjutkan pekerjaan mereka tanpa memperdulikan sang Belalang lagi. Ada saatnya untuk bekerja dan ada saatnya untuk bermain.

The Grasshopper and the Ants

In a field one summer's day a grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. A group of ants walked by, grunting as they struggled to carry plump kernels of corn. "Where are you going with those heavy things?" asked the grasshopper. Without stopping, the first ant replied, "To our ant hill. This is the third kernel I've delivered today." "Why not come and sing with me," teased the grasshopper, "instead of working so hard?"

"We are helping to store food for the winter," said the ant, "and think you should do the same." "Winter is far away and it is a glorious day to play," sang the grasshopper. But the ants went on their way and continued their hard work. The weather soon turned cold. All the food lying in the field was covered with a thick white blanket of snow that even the grasshopper could not dig through. Soon the grasshopper found itself dying of hunger. He staggered to the ants' hill and saw them handing out corn from the stores they had collected in the summer. He begged them for something to eat. "What!" cried the ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?" "I didn't have time to store any food," complained the grasshopper; "I was so busy playing music that before I knew it the summer was gone." The ants shook their heads in disgust, turned their backs on the grasshopper and went on with their work.

Don't forget -- there is a time for work and a time for play!

The Ant and the Grasshopper One summer day a grasshopper was singing and chirping and hopping about. He was having a wonderful time. He saw an ant who was busy gathering and storing grain for the winter. Stop and talk to me, said the grasshopper. We can sing some songs and dance a while. Oh no, said the ant. Winter is coming. I am storing up food for the winter. I think you should do the same. Oh, I cant be bothered, said the grasshopper. Winter is a long time off. There is plenty of food. So the grasshopper continued to dance and sing and chip and the ant continued to work. When winter came the grasshopper had no food and was starving. He went to the ants house and asked, Can I have some wheat or maybe a few kernels of corn. Without it I will starve, whined the grasshopper. You danced last summer, said the ants in disgust. You can continue to dance. And they gave him no food. There is a time to work and a time to play.

The Ant and the Grasshopper In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest. "Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?" "I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same." "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "We have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger - while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew: It is best to prepare for days of need.